


Collaboration

by LunarCycle (CrystalNavy)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-01-30 17:01:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21431665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalNavy/pseuds/LunarCycle
Summary: Three unlikely people are collaborating. It order to save innocent lives, they would do what they have to.
Relationships: Sirius Black & Remus Lupin & Peter Pettigrew & James Potter
Kudos: 2





	1. Sirius I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius and Remus figure out their plan and begin implementing it.

Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs.

Those nicknames rang through my head, as I stared at the sleeping faces of my three closest friends. Except we were not so close in the end, were we? We've been unknowingly pushing one of our own away, creating an insurmountable gap between him and the rest of us, to the point that he only had Darkness to turn to.

That was the main reason we returned to the past, Moony and I. 

Gently, I woke Moony up. We moved over to the foot of the bed, and cast a spell which would ensure no one overheard us.

"So what is the first course of action?" Moony looked at me questioningly

"I think we both know why we came back." I said "We'll do this. We have to do this. For them. For him."

The small, chubby Gryffindor shifted, so that his face and his sandy-blond hair was visible. Sirius chuckled. It was hard to imagine their pudgy friend with the Death Eater he had become.

He would never become one again, not if Sirius had anything to say about it.

"How do we do it, though?"

"He thinks we are only keeping him around because he makes us feel better about ourselves. I say we start by proving him wrong." I said

-x-

Finally, we were all up, and headed down to the Great Hall for some quick breakfast.

James and I lead the pack, as usual. Moony and Wormtail followed after us. Already, we could feel Avery's gaze on us.

Unlike the previous ones, however, this one was calculating and appraising. 

"I know what we are going to do." I leaned in and whispered something to Moony

His eyes lit up and he nodded with determination.

"I'll talk to Avery." I said "You'll convince Lily to lend us a helping hand."

-x-

Breaking into the Slytherin common room was easy when one had the skills of a Marauder and the knowledge from the future, like Moony and I.

Of course, my goal was not their common room itself, but the dormitories that lay beyond it.

Sure enough, Avery was there, writing a letter. One look and I knew who the addressee was.

I pulled out my wand and set the letter on fire.

"Stay away from Peter, Avery." I hissed "I know you and your ilk are trying to turn him."

"You already have." Avery rose to his full height "He is better off with us than people who don't really consider him a friend."

"And how do you know we don't?" I asked sharply

I didn't want to be reminded of our past failure. How we alienated Peter. Sweet innocent Peter who worshipped us. How we made him into a Death Eater.

Not again. Never again.

-x-

Peter and Mary bumped into one another in the hallway, unaware that they had an audience.

"So.....er.......where is Remus?"

"I dunno." Mary shrugged

"I was invited by him to hang out here." Peter muttered

"That's funny." Mary said "Lily told me she needed to show me something, and that we'd meet here."

Their faces began turning red as both of them came to the realization.

"Remus and Lily are friends." Peter stated

"And they knew we had crushes on one another." Mary said

"So they plotted this together." they concluded "They set us up."


	2. Remus I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During their usual outing, Sirius and Remus notice what they didn't the first time around.

We were at our usual spot by the tree overlooking the lake. James liked to hang out here and watch Lily, who liked to hang around the lake with her own friends. This group, until quite recently, included Severus Snape. I felt something heavy within my throat. I missed Lily, and I missed James.

My attention turned back to my own friends. James was in the center, playing with his stolen Snitch once more. Sirius was leaning against the tree, his head resting atop of his hands. Peter was sitting on James' other side, looking at James as if he were his personal hero. 

I closed my book. This couldn't be allowed to continue. This sort of behavior was what led to the betrayal in the first place. I exchanged a meaningful gaze with Sirius.

"We need somewhere to be, Jamie." he said with a winsome smile, already standing up "Let's leave these two nerds to do nerdy things."

With some good-natured grumbling from James, they were gone. I took a good look at Peter. And I couldn't help but agree with Harry. He really did resemble Neville. Which, naturally, made the whole turn of the events even sadder.

"I need your help, Pete." I said "This is something only you can do."

"Really?" he looked at me with an earnest expression "What is it?

Ten minutes later, we were on the seventh floor, in front of a very familiar door. That's when Avery rounded the corner. Fortunately, he didn't notice us. Thinking quickly, I opened the door and shoved Peter inside, before stepping in myself. No matter what, I couldn't let Avery and Peter meet. Avery was recruiting and he had his sights set on my too-easy-to-convince friend. He wanted to make him another of Voldemort's little minions. And I wasn't gonna stand for that again. 

"So what do I need to do?" Peter asked me

He looked earnest. Far too earnest to please someone. And we encouraged this sort of behavior, believing it to be normal. And all the while, his bitterness grew and grew, until it changed him.

"Peter." I stared him down "How do you really feel about us? About James?"

He looked at me and blinked.

"I don't want to hear you say what you think we want you to say." I went on "I want the truth."

"Well....." he began "I think you should include me more."

I said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"I mean, when was the last time you guys let me do anything worthwhile?" he continued "Whenever we did anything, I was merely there to ensure you got away safely. When they targeted me, none of you were around. When I was feeling down or had a nightmare, none of you were there to comfort me!"

I crossed the distance between us and hugged him.

"I am sorry." I said sincerely "None of us ever bothered to think about you. But that's going to change. I'll convince Sirius and James. In the meantime, how would you like to make up for all those missed opportunities?"

The smile on his face said it all.

-Third person POV-

The door closed behind Avery and he looked around in the darkness. He wasn't alone.

Suddenly, the lights went back on, and a makeshift stage was illuminated. There were three people up there. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. They were tinkering with some equipment.

"Ready?" Sirius asked

"Ready." Remus responded

The two time-travelers moved to the opposite edges of the stage.

Sirius took the microphone.

"Greetings, scum of the earth." Sirius said acridly "You're probably wondering why you're here."

"Yes." Avery couldn't help but say "And also why you're here without your so-called leader."

"Because we chose the one afternoon when he's in the hospital wing to do this." Sirius grinned

It was not a pleasant grin.

"After all, we Marauders never forgive, and never forget." Remus added "And today, we'll cash on all of it. Or rather, he will."

"Take it away, Wormtail." Sirius said

With that, the two time-travelers left the stage and moved to the either side of the door.

"You aren't participating?" Avery asked

"Nah, not this time." Remus replied "We are just here to make sure none of you get away until Wormtail is done."


	3. James I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something strange is happening with his friends, and James is determined to find out what it is.

I woke up at the usual time. The first thing I saw were three empty beds. Which meant that my friends had gone somewhere without me. He frowned. This wasn't right. Sirius and I were almost joined at the hip. Peter practically worshipped me. 

I went about the usual routine, brushing my teeth, showering and getting dressed. Then I went down to the Great Hall, expecting to see them there. 

They weren't there. So I went around, checking multiple areas as I did. Finally, I found them. They were sitting near the lake, engrossed in a book. I frowned. Remus was the only book-lover as far as I knew. Peter and Sirius reading them was just wrong.

" 'Ways to make someone more independent'." I read the title "Why are you interested in this topic?"

Sirius sighed. Remus averted his gaze. Peter began to play with his fingers.

"I am sorry, James." Sirius said "But we'd like for this to remain between the three of us. Remus, Peter, let's go."

I stared at their retreating backs, dumbfounded.

Were they ending their friendship with me?

I resolved then and there to get to the bottom of this, one way or another.

-Third person POV-

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Remus asked quietly

"I am." Sirius gazed at the sky outside "As long as we remain close with James, Wormtail would continue worshipping him, and the whole point of this is to make Wormtail more independent. That's why we need to steer clear of James too, at least for the time being.

They looked over at Peter, who was sitting on the bed, with a contemplative look in his eyes.

"Why?" he finally asked

Sirius and Remus looked at one another.

"Because we want you to be our equal, not worship us." Remus replied "We want you to stand beside us as our friend."

"Besides, some is bound to exploit you if you continue worshipping everyone who you deem as better than you." Sirius added "You'd be nothing more than a tool, which will get discarded once its usefulness ends. We don't want that fate for you."

-x-

James watched as Mary McDonald swept past me. Other than Lily, she was the only girl I had a crush on. And like Lily, she made it clear to me she wasn't interested. She wore a beautiful white dress, almost as if she were going on a date. A date with whom? I needed to know.

Mary walked up to the lakeshore, and a shorter figure met her there. I felt like my heart was just pierced with a lance.

It was Peter.

Mary wrapped one hand around his waist, and pulled him closer to her, so that they were almost touching.

The difference in their height was obvious.

But that wasn't important.

What was important was that she was seeing my friend behind my back, and that he was returning her affections even though he knew I fancied her to an extent. That she was my back-up plan in case Lily rejected me.

And she was seeing Peter. 

Peter, who worshipped me.

Who would stop seeing her if I asked him to do that.

I strode over to them.

"Peter." I said "Break up with her."

Peter looked up at me and blinked.

"No." he said calmly

"No?" I repeated dumbfounded.

"I did everything you wanted me to." he continued "I cheered for you every day, I celebrated your accomplishments together with you. But you will not steal my life. I love Mary, and I will not let your wishes get in between us. You will not dictate my actions and feelings in this matter."

"I feel the same way." Mary then said "So sod off, James Potter, and leave us alone!"

"I couldn't help but overhear." Sirius was walking towards them "I will have to take Pete's side on this, Jamie. You have Lily to focus on, let them be."


End file.
